Latter-day Saints for Trump Group Aims to 'Energize' Members to Vote

A self-proclaimed Latter-day Saints for Trump group, which is co-chaired by retired Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch (R), aims to promote the reelection of President Donald Trump among members of its community.

“Latter-day Saints for Trump will work to mobilize and energize Latter-day Saints communities across the country to reelect President Donald Trump by focusing on and educating the community on the many successes of the Trump administration,” the group’s website states.

According to the website, the group is aligned with the Trump campaign. The bottom of the website reads: Paid for by Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. The “contact us” link takes readers to a Trump-Pence campaign website.

The website’s homepage features the group’s 18-member advisory board accompanied by a backdrop of Salt Lake Temple. The group is also not officially associated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which has mostly strayed from partisanship in politics. While the church remains neutral, it frequently encourages members of its community to engage in the voting process.

“Reelecting President Trump will ensure continued victories in school-choice reform, pro-life issues, judicial appointments, and religious freedom,” according to the group’s website. “As citizens of this nation and members of the Latter-day Saints community, we must be active and cannot be idle spectators in this important mission.”

While speaking in Mesa, Arizona, on Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence made mention of plans to launch a “Latter-day Saints for Trump” group.

In a written statement provided to the Arizona Republic, Samantha Zager, the Trump campaign’s deputy national press secretary, said Trump is a “staunch defender of religious communities.”

“President Trump’s victories on school choice, pro-life issues, judicial appointments and religious freedom have benefited the LDS community,” Zager said, noting that the Latter-day Saint coalition is “dedicated to spreading the message of those successes.”

A separate Latter-day Saints group in Arizona chose to denounce Trump in a letter on Tuesday, calling the coalition “out of bounds” for using the church’s name to promote a political candidate.

“For us, this election is not about parties and tribalism. It is about reclaiming our core values. President Trump is the antithesis of so much the Latter-day Saints community believes,” said the letter, which was signed by more than 200 people.

“Trump exploits our anxieties in the worst way — fanning division, fear, and xenophobia. He manipulates America’s problems for his personal benefit rather than inspiring us to solve them. He weakens critical government institutions and routinely imperils our Constitution by placing himself above the law,” the letter added.

Distinguished members of the Latter-day Saints for Trump advisory board include Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes and retired NFL player Burgess Owens, who is also running for Congress in Utah’s Fourth District.